The Board of Peace, a U.S.-created body tasked with rebuilding Gaza, has publicly declared that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will play no future role in the territory. Despite this stance, former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini says that board members have privately expressed a willingness to cooperate with the agency. Minutes from meetings obtained by a U.N. official confirm that the board’s Palestinian technocratic committee has discussed joint efforts with UNRWA.
Lazzarini, who stepped down on March 31, revealed that representatives of the Board of Peace have met on several occasions with UNRWA leadership. Two senior U.N. officials and the board official confirmed at least three meetings this year, including two during Lazzarini’s tenure. In a January 26 Cairo session, Palestinian committee head Ali Shaath praised UNRWA and stated that the committee’s governing apparatus would heavily rely on the agency’s work.
UNRWA remains the primary aid distributor in Gaza, delivering health, education and essential services. Its 11,000 Palestinian staff conduct roughly 14,000 medical consultations daily, manage waste and water systems for over a million people, run digital literacy classes for 280,000 children and oversee temporary learning centres for 60,000 more. Lazzarini noted that the agency supports about half of Gaza’s public health system and that field staff are essential for vaccine delivery and other assistance.
Israel has repeatedly called for UNRWA’s removal, alleging infiltration by Hamas militants, a claim the International Court of Justice has found unsubstantiated. While the board’s official described the agency’s future as “far more efficient and accountable,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi urged the international community to recognise UNRWA as indispensable. The agency’s role remains contested amid ongoing political and security tensions in the region.
